Electric Reliability & Standards Engineer

Electric Reliability & Standards Engineer Salary

$93,730.00 - $124,440.00 Annually

Location: FL 34471, FL

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 11526

Department: Electric

Opening Date: 01/15/2026

Closing Date: Continuous

Description:

This professional engineering position is responsible for ensuring the reliability, safety, and standardization of Ocala Electric Utility's transmission and distribution systems. The Electric Reliability & Standards Engineer leads the analysis and improvement of system reliability performance, manages the development and enforcement of construction and material standards, and provides technical direction for protection coordination, fault studies, and corrective design.

The position collaborates closely with the Electric Engineering Supervisor - Planning & Design to ensure design practices align with system reliability strategies and long-term infrastructure goals. It functions as a technical authority and subject-matter expert supporting Engineering, Operations, and Procurement to strengthen electric system integrity, efficiency, and customer reliability. This position reports directly to the Engineering & GIS Manager or designee.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead System Reliability Analysis and Performance Improvement: Monitor, analyze, and report on electric system reliability indices (SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI, MAIFI, etc.). Investigate outages, equipment failures, and recurring reliability concerns. Recommend corrective actions and coordinate implementation with Operations, Engineering, and T&D field crews. Develop and maintain dashboards and reports that track reliability trends and performance improvements across the utility.

• Develop and Maintain Construction and Material Standards: Lead the creation, review, and publication of electric system construction and material standards. Evaluate materials and vendors to ensure quality, availability, and cost-effectiveness. Maintain the approved materials catalog and coordinate with all stakeholders on specification updates and stocking strategies. Provide training and guidance to engineers, technicians, and field staff on new standards, materials, and procedures to ensure consistency and compliance.

• Perform Protection, Coordination, and Relaying Engineering: Lead the development and application of protection philosophies, coordination standards, and distribution relaying schemes for the transmission and distribution system. Conduct system-wide fault and coordination studies to ensure proper protection margins, device selectivity, and compliance with reliability and safety standards. Develop, maintain, and verify relay settings and protective-device parameters, including reclosers, fuses, and sectionalizing equipment. Collaborate with Substation, T&D, and System Operations personnel to implement, test, and validate protection and automation schemes. Provide technical guidance on relay applications, coordination practices, and communication interfaces supporting system protection and reliability objectives.

• Provide Engineering Governance and Technical Expertise: Serve as a subject-matter expert during post-event technical evaluations, reliability investigations, and engineering reviews. Maintain system models and reliability-related datasets. Review and recommend technology, automation, and analytical tools that improve reliability performance. Participate in cross-departmental working groups addressing reliability, standards, and asset performance.

• Support Operational Coordination and System Analysis: Provide technical and analytical support to System Operations, Substation, and T&D staff to ensure effective coordination and reliable system performance. Collaborate on operational planning, event analysis, and post-incident reviews to identify system improvements and enhance protection and reliability practices. Serve as a reliability liaison between Engineering and System Operations to align operational activities with engineering standards and reliability objectives.

• Lead Continuous Improvement and Documentation Initiatives: Maintain detailed records of reliability studies, standards revisions, and materials evaluations. Prepare technical reports and presentations for management summarizing reliability trends, material performance, and improvement initiatives. Support long-term planning efforts and contribute to capital improvement recommendations through data-driven reliability analysis.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education and Experience:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Electrical preferred; Mechanical considered) from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in electric utility reliability, protection, or standards engineering.
• Experience must include system analysis, fault and coordination studies, and the development or maintenance of protective-device settings and construction standards.
• Certifications and Licenses:
• Must possess a valid Florida Drivers License with an acceptable driving record.
• Certification or documented training in electric utility protection and coordination principles is preferred at time of hire and required within twelve (12) months of employment.
• E.I.T. (Engineer-in-Training) or F.E. (Fundamentals of Engineering) certification preferred.
• P.E. (Professional Engineer) license desirable.
• Specialized training or certification in protective relaying, coordination, or power-system protection.

Analytical Ability/Problem Solving:

• Moderately Directed.
• Activities covered by wide-ranging policies and courses of action, and generally directed as to execution and review.
• Considerable Responsibility; may also occasionally assist in the planning of work assignments performed by others within a limited area of operation.
• Decision Making:
• Performs work operations which permit opportunity for decision-making of minor importance. Frequently.
• Performs work operations which permit opportunity for decision-making of major importance. Frequently;
• Communication Skills:
• Ability to read, analyze, and understand common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
• Ability to respond to complex or difficult inquiries or complaints.
• Mathematical Skills:
• Ability to comprehend and apply principles of advanced calculus, modern algebra, and advanced statistical theory.
• Critical Thinking Skills:
• Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems.
• Ability to deal with nonverbal, logical or scientific symbolism such as formulas, scientific equations, and graphs.

Work Environment:

• The employee may be required to:
• Stand Frequently.
• Walk Frequently.
• Sit Regularly.
• Use hands to handle or feel Continuously.
• Reach with hands and arms Regularly.
• Stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl Occasionally.
• Talk or hear Continuously.
• Taste or smell Never.
• Weight Lift Requirement:
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move: Up to 50 pounds.
• Vision Requirement:
• Specific vision abilities required by this job may include: Ability to adjust focus (work duties that require the ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus at various distances or focal lengths).
• Environmental Conditions:
• Work near moving mechanical parts (spinning shafts, engines, lifts, etc.) Occasionally.
• Work in high, precarious places (tall structures, bucket lifts, extension ladders, etc.) Never.
• Work in fumes or airborne particles (painting, sanding, solvents, flying lint or dust particles, etc.) Never.
• Work with toxic or caustic chemicals (including potential for chemical spills, etc.) Never.
• Work in outdoor weather conditions (exposure to outdoor heat, cold or inclement weather) Regularly.
• Work in wet or humid conditions (not weather-related, such as greenhouse, carwash, etc.) Never.
• Work in extreme cold (not weather-related, such as freezer, cold storage, etc.) Never.
• Work in extreme heat (not weather-related, such as furnace, kitchen, ovens, etc. where temp is regularly above 100 degrees F) Never.
• Risk of electrical shock (live electrical wires, equipment that retains power after shutoff) Regularly.
• Risk of radiation (x-ray equipment, nuclear radiation, electromagnetic radiation, etc.) Occasionally.
• Vibration (jack hammer, soil compactor, equipment that creates high vibration, etc.) Never.
• Noise level in the work environment is usually Moderate (business office with computers/printers, light traffic, etc.).

Additional Information:

• Emphasis is on engineering governance, system protection, and reliability analysis.
• This position requires a high degree of technical independence, analytical judgment, and professional accountability to ensure that construction standards, materials, and operating practices support long-term system reliability, safety, and efficiency.
• Work involves close collaboration with Engineering, T&D, Substation, Operations, and Procurement staff to evaluate system performance and implement reliability improvements.
• The position functions as a senior technical expert responsible for maintaining compliance with applicable codes, standards, and industry best practices.
• Participation in after-hours response, technical review, or post-event analysis may occasionally be required.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance: We offer both single and family coverage, for employees working 30 or more hours per week.
• Dental Insurance: For full-time employees, we offer both single and family dental coverage.
• Vision Insurance: For full-time employees, we offer both single and family vision coverage.
• Life Insurance: For full-time employees, the City of Ocala provides Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberments policies as an employer-paid benefit.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): The Employee Assistance Program is available to all full-time employees and members of your household as an employer-paid benefit.
• Holidays and Paid Time Off: The City provides paid holidays and paid time off for full-time employees.
• Retirement Plan: All full-time employees hired after 10/01/2013, apart from Sworn Police Officers and Firefighters, are enrolled in the 401a Defined Contribution Retirement Plan with MissionSquare.
• Training Programs: The City is committed to providing training programs for all departments and all positions.
• Tuition Reimbursement: All regular, full-time employees are eligible to participate in the tuition reimbursement program.